Ellsbury's day didn't come to crashing halt

Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp rushes to the aid of right fielder Jacoby Ellsbury after Ellsbury crashed into the wall while chasing down a long fly ball by Adam Lind in the fourth inning. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press/Associated Press)

TORONTO - As Jacoby Ellsbury lay on the turf in right field at Rogers Centre, down just in front of the chain link opening to the bullpen, the crowd began to boo. He had been out there for too long, in their estimation, as trainers and teammates attended to the injured outfielder. But after eight minutes of care, Ellsbury got up. The trainers left the field, but he did not.

"The fact that he stayed in and played that game is - and it might be a little overdramatic - but I thought he grew up a little bit today," manager Terry Francona said. "I don't mean like he had to, but he understood where we were physically with the rest of our team and what he can do by staying in the game. I thought that was huge."

With few options on the bench - both J.D. Drew and Sean Casey are ailing, leaving just Kevin Cash and Jeff Bailey - Ellsbury remained in the game. His battle scars were evident after the game, abrasions on his right eye, forehead, cheek, and shoulder. Spots on his face were red, and his shoulder appeared to have lost a bit of skin.

"He's pretty banged up," Francona said. "He hit his shoulder, he hit his head, he cut his eye. The hard thing we were struggling with, that stuff from the warning track and his contact popped out and he couldn't get the contact to stay in. So that's where we were really struggling. So he's sore."

Ellsbury made a stellar catch on the warning track of the fourth-inning drive off the bat of Adam Lind. He then turned toward the wall, as if looking at it, and almost immediately slammed into the fence separating the Red Sox bullpen from the field. He caromed onto the turf, ripped off his sunglasses, then lay there.

"I knew I was closing in on the fence, just going to make the catch, and I hit the wall pretty good," Ellsbury said. "Didn't feel good, I'll tell you that. It was just one of those things where you just try to play.

"I've hit the wall before making plays. It was kind of more my shoulder that got the brunt of the wall. It was one of those things where you just don't want to do damage if you stay in, with your shoulder, so you just have to make a quick call whether it's worth staying in or not."

Though he said he's hit fences harder - with the scars to prove it - Ellsbury said it didn't feel like there was much give in the chain link. In other words, it hurt. A lot.

Francona's comments were particularly notable because of what he said back on May 2, after Ellsbury had missed a three-game series against Toronto recovering from a groin injury. "Sometimes a guy like an Ellsbury - Coco [Crisp] kind of did it yesterday - we can still win when you're not 100 percent. Sometimes you go out and you take an 0-fer for the team and we can still win.

"I'm not pointing a finger at Ellsbury because I think he's a pretty tough kid. I guess my point is you're not always going to be 100 percent."

Yaz is recovering

Carl Yastrzemski's agent, Dick Gordon, said Yastrzemski is still recovering at Massachusetts General Hospital from his triple bypass last Tuesday.

"We haven't heard about a day for his release, but we're looking forward to it," Gordon said.

Gordon said Yastrzemski seemed to be in good spirits. He turned 69 Friday, and Gordon said there are plans for a birthday party once Yaz leaves the hospital.

A bit dicey again

Daisuke Matsuzaka got through the sixth yesterday, leaving with the Sox down by a run. He walked just one - his fewest in a start since he didn't allow any May 27 in Seattle, the game he left early with strained rotator cuff - but he allowed two home runs, matching his season high. He also gave up a season-high eight hits.

"The minute you make a mistake, Vernon Wells hits it 400 feet," Francona said. "I think he was OK. He competed. Sometimes balls bounce different directions."

After the two-run shot he gave up to Wells in the first inning, Matsuzaka allowed a solo homer to Lyle Overbay in the fourth, then two more runs in the sixth when Alex Rios scored on a Wells double, and Wells scored on a Rod Barajas double. The Barajas double came with two outs, after the Sox had intentionally walked Matt Stairs. Stairs was cut down at the plate, on a relay from left fielder Jason Bay to third baseman Jed Lowrie to catcher Jason Varitek.

Neck bothers Casey

The Sox' injury list keeps increasing. Casey, who hasn't played since Tuesday in Baltimore, has been battling a stiff neck. He said the neck became problematic when he woke up Thursday, the team's day off, after having gone to Pittsburgh for the day. Casey said the neck has been improving, and he was hopeful he would be available for tomorrow's game in New York. He added he's been getting quite a few phone calls and e-mails about why the team has been leaving a guy who is hitting .345 on the bench . . . Drew (back) was not in the starting lineup again, his sixth straight game on the bench. Francona didn't rule out putting Drew on the disabled list, saying the outfielder was walking "crooked" when he left the park Saturday afternoon. But, he said, with the day off today, the team is hoping Drew will be able to play tomorrow . . . David Aardsma, who officially went on the DL yesterday, and Julio Lugo are both scheduled for MRIs today in Boston. Both will stay in Boston for the rest of the road trip, and will work out with rehabilitation coordinator Scott Waugh . . . David Pauley arrived before the game, taking Aardsma's spot on the roster. He is likely to be used in long relief, especially with Tim Wakefield making his return from the DL tomorrow . . . Mike Lowell (oblique) is scheduled to speak with medical director Dr. Thomas Gill today to get approval to head to New York . . . David Ortiz snapped an 0-for-11 streak with a third-inning double. He came around to score . . . Dustin Pedroia's three-run home run meant his last four homers have come against Toronto . . . Crisp's home run was his first since July 30, against the Angels. His seventh homer of the season gave him one more than last season. His most with the Sox was eight in 2006 . . . Lowrie's only other homer in the majors was May 10 at Minnesota.

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com. Nick Cafardo of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

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